NX 7.5 CAM = not up to par 3

[lorenolepi]

So I have been using NX for about 8 years as a design/drafter and have been amazed by its capabilities. Recently I have been learning the CAM side of NX and I got to say it seems like the ugly step sister of the other applications. Its lack of parametric goodness such as expressions and being able to reference things really gets to me. Example tools and holders... its a crime that if a tool/holder is modeled in NX that it can not be inserted as a tool. You need to re-define the tool through a tool wizard step by step and can only use the 3D model as a graphical reference that has no checks or boundaries against the tool created in the wizard. How hard would it be to have a 3D tool drive the tool library, even if you had to give explicit expression names/values? Same situation with the free-form tools, the way they need to be defined is beyond any logical explanation, why not have a way to be able to cross-section the model and have it auto constrain the definition that CAM side needs?
Another thing that really grinds my gears is how the milling side really seems to be lacking with simple threaded hole features. Its an HOLE not rocket science! The feature based machining is a joke unless you have time to learn a new programming language and your parts are exactly the same every single time (not working for a job shop). With holes already being features in the model tree, why not transfer the information in... I really need to input the size of the hole twice? (Every time you input information, is another time an error can occur not to mention the time that is wasted)
The third thing is and this is far beyond my knowledge but why TCL programming language for shop docs/post? I realize its a cool open source code and all but I havn't been able to find a real class on it. The NX post class isn't going to cover everything you need to have amazing shop doc's. If VB is good enough for NX-open then why not this? How many programming languages does NX expect us to learn to be a good/efficient engineer?

 

[Tingsryd]

I think you may need to look into NX manufacturing a little closer; just about all your concerns seem quite unfounded.

I use mainly 3-axis milling but all some simpler 2.5 and 2d milling. Everything is parametric so I am not sure what you are looking for other than perhaps you are unaware of this. Manufacturing operations are flagged for regeneration if the model changes. If walls move, chamfers or blends change, the operations are updated accordingly.

As for tool and holder modeling, there is some functionality but I have never used it because I have not had the need. I started out with some basic tools that were created then saved to the library. I was also able to quickly create many tools by adding entries to the library file itself. I now have a large library that contains all my tools and all my holders. Inside NX when I specify a tool/holder, for all purposes, it is a 3d element that is referenced by the operations for clearance and collision checking. I can even manually measure the distance between all the various faces of the tool/holder combo if I wish. I hardly ever do that because I don't need to; I tell the operation and the simulation exactly what I need for clearance and NX does it for me.

As for parametric holes you can use FBM which uses design model feature parameters for drilling, threading, milling, etc-. There are operations for doing it manually if you so chose.

Tcl-Tk for shop docs and post processors lends itself to being able to just about anything you need it to do. I recommend the post class along with either a tcl-tk class or pick up a book and do some reading on it. With some basic knowledge of tcl-tk you'll find out it really isn't "rocket science". Judging from your post I would guess you more than intelligent enough to do this. As for shop docs, it's totally redone for 8 and tcl seems to be going by the wayside, not requiring and tcl-tk knowledge and is customizable with a spreadsheet.

Before you go any further I recommend you take a look at the NX feature set including what's new in nx8 cam which was recently released. See for yourself and don't take my word for it. It sounds to me like you are not very familiar with NX and are frustrated because you can't see how to do certain things. NX is not a typical middle of the road cad-cam solution you might find in somebody's garage. Companies build cars, planes, formula one race cars and almost endless types of consumer end product solutions. There are not that many high end players in cad-cam-cae so there is a high chance when you go about your daily activities you are interacting with products that are someway connected with NX.

NX 7.5

 

[DaSalo]

I work regularly in modeling, drafting, and manufacturing modules and feel that, for the most part, the manufacturing module is the best of the bunch. I love the modeling module, don't get me wrong, but I found many of the tools unintuitive at first. This has been improved dramatically over the past few versions and NX 7.5 has been a fantastic, rock-solid stable tool.

I found the manufacturing module extrememly easy to learn, highly inuitive, and, best of all, amazingly flexible. When compared to other software that I had previously worked with I was amazed at how many different ways I could approach a job in NX. I could heavily automate using FMB if it was something routine or have complete control over every possible parameter if something very unique. I came from a package that was heavily swung towards FBM and always found that to be extremely limiting and frustrating.

I have been up against it a bit recently with some limitations in the more common tools but I have found a way out due to the sheer number of options available. I presented my same programming problem to NC programmers at our other sites who specialize in two other high-end CAM packages and neither of them were able to generate a workable path. I did it in NX. It took some work, but it did the job, and this is more than can be said for some competitors.

 

[lorenolepi]

Thanks for the input guys... You are right the manufacturing side is a great tool overall.
I just thought it would be in line with the other applications like modeling/drafting. As far as my parametric concerns, I just think it would nice if they used expressions, that way you could load up models up front and reference them. I went to the CAM customization class last week and it seemed as though the FBM was a lot of work and to be used effectively and the jobs would need to be very similar (every job we do is different). It would be nice if it could use the information from the features already contained within the model, Like the hole size or the instance array/pattern information.
I have nothing against TCL and have good things about it, except for there is no real training for it any where in the USA. It seems kinda wacked that you customize the other applications like modeling/drafting with a different language. In my opinion they need to just pick a language and stick with it for the entire software package.
Thanks for the input on the shop docs in NX 8. I have been testing it out now for the last few weeks for an hour here or an hour there but haven't done much with the CAM side yet.

 

[moudy1]

I have used NX CAM almost every day since UG V6 1989. I can get NX to do almost anything I want, I have written 200+ grip programs, 50+ TCL posts, 50+ C programs and 30+ VB programs. That being said I would have to agree with everything that lorenolepi says, it has many areas long overdue for improvement.

I was at a RUG event recently and the expression topic was brought up again where the local Siemens CAM jock agreed this was long overdue. TCL is slooow especially for math and should have never been chosen for posts. I keep hoping that because Siemens is heavy in NC that the CAM package will improve and I have seen some improvement. It's frustrating that we have complained about tools for years and when they did change the shank for NX8 we are limited to 1 transition. Why not at least give us the same capability as with holders? We also get two new tool types. If we could sketch them and use them in EVERY MODULE we would not need different types.
Unfortunately just like anything else it boils down to resources and NX does not sell as much in CAM as it does in Teamcenter and CAD.